About

Michelle Esrick is a filmmaker and activist. She directed and produced The Wavy Gravy Movie: Saint Misbehavin’, (executive produced by Academy Award winner DA Pennebaker) a documentary about activist, poet, clown and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor Wavy Gravy. Michelle and her production crew filmed Wavy Gravy over a period of 10 years (1999 – 2009), and collected never-before-seen archival footage to create a story that focuses on Wavy’s commitment to making a difference in the world and having fun doing it. The film was called “an unabashed love letter to the world that defies the cynicism of our age,” by Stephen Holden of The New York Times.

The Wavy Gravy Movie: Saint Misbehavin’ premiered at SXSW and was the winner of numerous audience and jury prize awards, screened theatrically in over 36 cities, and aired on Showtime, PBS and The Super Channel in Canada and Quebec. It was released on DVD and VOD including Netlix, iTunes and Amazon in the US and Canada by New Video/Cinedigm Entertainment.

Michelle has worked on a number of documentaries about art, music and social change, including two- time Academy Award-winner Barbara Kopple’s film, My Generation, about the three Woodstock Festivals. Michelle has also created and produced such notable events as “Activism With A Sense Of Humor,” starring Wavy Gravy, Peter Gerety, Kathleen Chalfant and Malachy McCourt at Theater for the New City in NYC, “Poems Not Fit for the White House” at Lincoln Center, featuring Arthur Miller, Mos Def, Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory and “Unconventional Heroes: An Evening of Performance to Honor Courageous Resisters,” starring Odetta and Steve Earle.

Michelle is currently producing and directing the Untitled Darrell Hammond Documentary. She is dedicated to creating films about people with inspirational stories that will have a ripple effect throughout our world.